The veteran coach and general manager of the Trail Smoke Eaters guided the team to a record of 35-15-3-1 during the regular season, which also included a franchise record 14-game winning streak.
Fragle feels it an honour to be recognized by his peers and calls it a team achievement.
“It’s not just me as the head coach and GM, it’s a testament to all the players and all the Trail Smoke Eaters, the staff, coaching and business side, it’s a team effort and I couldn’t have done it without their commitment and support,” said Fragle.
The former Smokies player says he continues to learn on the job, especially through adversity.
“As a coach you question some of the decisions you make, what you can do better, so always growing and learning,” he said, adding that there are other learning opportunities.
“Watching playoff hockey, studying it and looking at things we can always tweak here in Trail,” Fragle stated.
The former Smoke Eaters player owns the franchise record for coaching victories at 112 and has 304 wins on his Jr resume as a bench boss.
Fragle’s five year tenure has also seen 52 Smoke Eater players make commitments to NCAA and Canadian University hockey programs.
He feels the award adds to what the team can offer to it’s future recruits.
“When we get people to consider our program, they know we treat people the right way, we’re up front, we’re honest and I guess it can only help add to the list of what we provide parents, players and their families to be a part of our team,” Fragle added.
He has also signed a contract extension with the Smoke Eaters until the end of the 2027 campaign.
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